Broadband Communities

NOV-DEC 2016

BROADBAND COMMUNITIES is the leading source of information on digital and broadband technologies for buildings and communities. Our editorial aims to accelerate the deployment of Fiber-To-The-Home and Fiber-To-The-Premises.

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BROADBAND COMMUNITIES
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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016
MULTIFAMILY BROADBAND TECHNOLOGY
Is Cell Phone Coverage
A Disconnect for Residents?
Several remedies for poor cellphone signals exist – but there's no silver bullet.
By Valerie M. Sargent / Multifamily Broadband Council
W
hen I moved into my current home, I was
frustrated to find that my cellphone, which had
worked at my previous location, did not work
well in my new neighborhood. I eventually had to switch
cellphone carriers – after talking to neighbors and ensuring
my chosen carrier had a strong signal – so that I had a
workable phone at home.
At the 2016 Broad B and Communities Summit, a
multifamily professional asked me whether the MBC had
found a solution for poor cellphone signals. Her issue was
related to metropolitan high-rise buildings, but this is a
common issue for other types of MDU communities as well.
In an MDU, asking all residents to change carriers won't
work, but several helpful technology approaches can enhance
service quality if needed.
DAS. A DAS, or distributed antenna system, is one option.
It sends the cellular signal inside from a rooftop antenna,
distributes it via broadband, then amplifies and repeats it to
small antennas throughout the community. is method is
well-suited to high-density communities, and the technology
is stable and mature. However, DAS is expensive, ranging
from thousands to tens of thousands of dollars. Many property
owners, including the woman I spoke with at the Summit, find
DAS too expensive and continue to search for a better solution.
Cell Repeaters. Cell repeaters are another possible
choice. In this scenario, the antenna outside is cabled to an
internal repeater. is solution is simpler and less expensive
than a DAS but can have quality-of-service issues if not
implemented correctly. A 150,000-square-foot building
probably needs 10 to 12 repeaters.
Wi-Fi Calling. Wi-Fi calling enables residents to make
cellular calls via a Wi-Fi system installed in a building. is,
of course, takes up bandwidth on the Wi-Fi system and
requires traffic prioritization to avoid quality-of-service issues.
However, it may be one of the more viable options for owners
in need of a solution. Some cellular carriers make Wi-Fi
calling available for their customers.
Small Cells. As an affordable alternative to DAS, an
owner can install small cells. is alternative might cost
hundreds or thousands instead of tens of thousands of dollars
to install. However, an owner will have to buy small cells
dedicated to the licensed spectrum for each carrier; some limit
the number of cells an owner can buy, if they make them
available at all. Each small cell enhances connectivity back to
its respective network but is able to cover only a small area.
Small cells can cause interference and may interact with
one another. An unlicensed small-cell product is in the works,
but phones would have to be able to connect in the unlicensed
spectrum, and the unlicensed small cells would have to be able
to communicate with the core networks of the service providers.
Neutral Hosting. Neutral hosting companies offer a
service to extend a cellular company's service onto a property.
ey handle everything on the owner's behalf, installing and
maintaining equipment that builds connectivity on an MDU
property to connect with all the carriers. If there is a service
issue, the property owner calls the neutral hosting company,
not the carriers. e solution usually requires fiber: A fiber
demarcation point that ties back to the carrier's network has
to be built on the property.
In a world in which owners have traditionally looked
for revenue shares, who pays for these upgrades? erein
lies the rub. ere is no revenue to share, because neutral
hosting companies do not pass any charges on to residents.
Unfortunately, no carriers will share expenses with owners;
carriers pay to build only in areas such as stadiums and airports.
ere's no silver bullet! ink of cell coverage as being like
curb appeal. Owners regularly pay to install and maintain
landscaping to make their properties attractive. So it will go
with improving cellphone coverage. e questions to ask are
these: How attractive is better reception for your residents,
and what are those bars worth to you?
v
Valerie Sargent is the executive director of the Multifamily
Broadband Council. Contact her at vsargent@mfbroadband.
org or 949-274-3434, or visit www.mfbroadband.org. MBC
Tech Committee member David Coffey of Advanced Media
Technologies contributed to this article.